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The world could be under strain, yet a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to motivate people to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who died recently. It is designed to celebrate those who protect our planet's biodiversity.

Honoring a Legacy

The first recipients are expected to be announced at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had supported the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, originated with Jane,” a representative said. “She said she would like for this to occur. This is likely because of the very special bond she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight enduring projects undertaken to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to carry on such efforts,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus indicated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall was an honoree of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, a prominent voice remarked, “Frankly, it's challenging to feel hopeful. The current political climate globally is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“Realistically, things don’t look very good which means we need to really start thinking again, with greater urgency about the consequences of human activity. This concern encompasses not just global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with our environment.”

Following an Example

As a result, it was noted this is an opportune moment to emulate her guiding principles. “It is believed that in bestowing the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her priority, to change the way we treat fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A major topic currently involves the spread of false information. The central topic of next year’s festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that factual reality is becoming a subject of discussion where political interests is involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration is that this honor will inspire concrete steps. “It’s about motivating others to engage and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must focus on doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving toward success.”

A descendant involved in environmental protection shared confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, people are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, highlighting the work of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, empowers the youth get involved locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall often told everyone, our daily actions make a difference and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding about constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”